A Rhyl businessman who was locked up for selling computers loaded with counterfeit or unlicensed Microsoft software will be free within a month after having his prison sentence cut on appeal today.

Maxwell Guest, 67, of Plas Road, was caught out when trading standards officers carried out a test purchase operation at one of his shops and bought a computer with a dodgy Office package installed.

The bankrupt businessman pleaded guilty to 10 trade mark offences, having seen fraud allegations dropped by prosecutors, and was jailed for six months at Mold Crown Court last month.

But today, the term was cut to four months by three top judges, paving the way for his release at the latest in the middle of next month, when he will have served half of his sentence in jail.

"When properly analysed, any loss to consumers or Microsoft, or any benefit to the appellant, was much more limited than the case as originally advanced," Lady Justice Hallett told the court.

Guest was caught out after one of his company customers complained to Microsoft and trading standards officers that software loaded onto recently bought computers was not genuine.

A test purchase officer was then sold a computer in December 2010, which, he was warned by shop staff, had a non-genuine copy of Microsoft Office loaded onto it. He was told he would be sent a disc to authorise the software.

Guest appealed today, arguing that it seemed as though he had been sentenced not for what he had admitted, but for the campaign of fraud which had originally been alleged, but later dropped.

Allowing the appeal, Lady Justice Hallett, who sat today with Mr Justice Griffith Williams and Mr Justice Jay, said he had to be sentenced for what he had actually pleaded guilty to, and nothing else.

"The offences are all too easy to commit and remain undetected and they are far too prevalent," she continued.

"However, in the light of all the circumstances of this case, in our judgment the sentence should be reduced to one of four months' imprisonment."

Guest will be released at the latest next month as offenders serve only half of their terms in prison before release on licence.